Greece will extend “territorial waters” in the Aegean, says FM Gerapetritis

“Extension of territorial waters [in the Aegean Sea] will come, as marine parks and spatial planning,” Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis announced on Friday.

Gerapetritis’ statement on the extension of territorial waters in the Aegean Sea comes a day after his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan said that the “Aegean issue must be resolved once and for all, and a few weeks before a meeting between Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

During a parliamentary session and following a question on foreign policy issues tabled by a group of independent MPs, Gerapetritis stated that Greece’s national power has become stronger, recalling the establishment of marine parks and agreements with Egypt and Italy as key achievements.

He dismissed Turkey’s “Blue Homeland” claims as unacceptable but noted that Greece is now better prepared legally and diplomatically than ever before.

He underlined the government’s commitment to protect national sovereignty without retreat and praised the upgrade of Greek defense with the new frigate “Kimon.”

He emphasized that Greece now has strong legal arguments for its maritime zones, supported by European law. He also stressed that Greece will continue dialogue with Turkey but will never negotiate issues of national sovereignty or compromise its positions.

Gerapetritis highlighted the importance of the electric interconnection project with Cyprus, calling it a top priority for Greece.

Regarding the Cyprus issue, he confirmed that discussions will continue under the framework of UN resolutions for a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation.

Finally, he mentioned that the Greek Prime Minister’s recent statement on Venezuela was more advanced than any European leader’s, reflecting Greece’s strong stance based on international law.